Fluid-fuel heater and pumping system.



'PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

EE KIRKWOOD. FLUID EEEL HEATER AND PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Iiatented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFIcE.

ROBERT G. KIRKVVOOD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-FUEL HEATER AND PUMPING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,333, dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed February 19 1902. Serial No. 94,792. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. KIRKWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at 23 Alpha Terrace, Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Fluid-Fuel Heaters and Pumping Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in-' vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to appliances for heat ing and pumping fluid fuel, and has for its object the provision of means for pumping liquid fuel from a storage-tank or suitable source of supply, which tank may be under ground or located at a suitable distance from the heating device and heating the fluid fuel and delivering the same to an appropriate boiler furnace or burner, the fuel being under a constant and uniform pressure-say twenty pounds or more-and also providing means for relieving the heater of any excess of fuel which may be fed to the heater by the pump or pumps and delivering the said excess back to the source of supply or storage-tank at a lower temperature than that at which the oil is fed to the burner.

The improvement consists in certain constructions and arrangements and combinations of mechanism, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, which is made a part hereof, the appliance is shown in vertical section, some parts being shown in elevation.

The fluid-fuel (preferably oil, and as such will be used in this specification) heater proper consists of an upright metallic cylindrical heating-chamber A,having a lower extension forming a base portion or hollow standard A, which standard is provided with suitable openings in its side. The chamber A has at its lower end a bottom plate a, preferably integral therewith, and a top plate a,

which latter plate forms a division-plate between an upper dome-shaped oil-receiving chamber B, located directly over the chamber A, and said chamber A. The wall of chamber B is provided with a flange similar to a corresponding flange on chamber A, and said flanges are securelybolted together, with the division plate a intervening between said flanges, as shown in the drawing, thus fastening the parts in such manner that chamber A is steam-tight and oil-receiving chamber B is oil and air tight. If necessary, suitable packing may be employed to make a tight joint. I

Two pumps 0 O are mounted on suitable brackets located about midway the height of the heati'ng-chamberA and are provided with appropriate steam-pipe connections, as at c c,

to the steam-space of the boiler, said pumps being driven by steam in usual manner.

D D designate suction oil-pipes, which are connected one to each of said pumps 0 O in usual manner and to each other at their lower ends by pipe D, as shown. A single suctionpipe D is fitted to pipe D, preferably in the hollow standard A, thus providing an oilfeeding pipe from a suitable storage-tank (not shown) to the pipes D and D D, which latter pipes supply the pumps with oil. The suction-pipes are provided with usual valves (:1, d, and (1, so that, if desired, oil may be shut off from one or both pumps,or the pumps may work independently of each other. Preferably I work only one pump at a time. When the pump or pumps are operating, oil being drawn into either by suction through pipes D D, the pump forces oil into the receiving-chamber B through discharge-pipes b b and fills said chamber to about the level indicated in the drawing.

Division-plate a, forming the bottom of the oil-receiving chamber, is provided with a central opening through which is entered the upper end of a coilv of pipe E, suitable packing means being provided around the opening to make a tight joint. Coil E has an outpacked, thus forming a means for carrying ofi the oil from receiving-chamber B to the burners or furnace.

Duplicate pipes F F are'provided for delivering exhaust-steam from the pumps to the heating-chamber A. Thus the steam entering chamber A circulates around the coils E, heating them and the oil passing through said coils to the burner to the desired temperature. A suitable outlet-pipe Gin the bottom of chamber A is provided to dispose of the steam after it has performed its function of heating the coils and contained oil in the said chamber.

In this class of appliances it is of importance to keep a uniform pressure on the oil in receiving-chamber B and also of great importance that any excess of oil which may be pumped into said chamber shall return to the storage-tank in a cool condition. By the construction of my device the oil-receiving chamber B forms an air-compression chamber, and if the pumps discharge more oil into the chamber than can pass to the burners through the heating-coils the oil is compressed and air in the upper portion of saidchamber B thus forms a cushion, insuringa uniform pressure of oil at all times. A pressure of twenty pounds is the normal condition under which the oil is discharged through the coils; but should the pressure rise in excess of the desired conditions relief is provided through a suitable automatic relief-valve H, located in the top of dome-shaped oil-receiving chamber B. Should the oil-pressure in chamber B rise higher than the pressure at which valve H is adjusted by means of nut h and spring h, (shown in the drawings and as will be be readily understood,) oil rises in pipe I, which pipe extends to within a short distance of the base-plate of chamber B and is secured at its upper end in the top portion of the walls of said chamber. Oil passing through pipe I lifts valve H and flows out through pipe K, and thence to the storage tank. When the pressure falls, valve H returns to its seat in the top of pipe I by action of spring 72 shutting 01f the exit of oil from the receiving-chamber toward the supply-tank.

Oil received in chamber B under normal conditions passes directly to the coil in chamber A and after being there heated passes to the burners. Should the pumps work faster than is desirable, the excess oil forced into chamber B will immediately pass up through pipe I, through the relief-valve, and consequently flow back through pipe K to the source of supply in a relatively cool condition.

In this construction it is possible to heat the oil only which passes to the burner for consumption, pass the excess oil back to the storage-tank without having been heated, and insure a uniform pressure of oil in the system by means of the air-cushion maintained in the dome-shaped oil-receiving chamber.

What I claim is-- 1. The combination of a heating-chamber and inclosed coil, with an oil-receiving and compression chamber connected to said coil and provided with an air-space above the contained oil forming a spring-cushion, an overflow-pipe located in the upper portion of said compression-chamber and extending downwardly into the contained oil, said pipe having an automatic relief-valve and communicating with the source of supply, and suitable pumps for said oil-chamber, substantially as described.

2. A device as described consisting essentially of a single chamber, a partition within said chamber forming two compartments therein, an oil-tube within one compartment communicating with the other or oil-receiving compartment and means for providing automatic relief of excess oil in said oil-receiving chamber, combined substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus as described, a single chamber having a division-plate forming an oil-receptacle above and a heating-compartment below said plate, an overflow-pipe, provided with an automatic relief-valve, located in the upper portion ofsaid oil-receptacle and extending downwardly a suitable distance into said receptacle, and an. oil-coil in said heating-compartment communicating with the oil-receptacle, all combined substantially as described.

4.-. In a device as described, a single cham-,

ber, a division-plate therein forming an oilreceptacle at one side, and a heating-chamber at the other side, and an oil-coil in said heating-compartment communicating with the oil-receiving compartment, an overflowpipe provided with an automatic valve located in the upper portion of said oil-receptacle and extending downwardly into the contained oil, whereby a cushion or spring of compressed air is created in said compartment to insure a uniform flow of oil to said outlet, all combined substantially as described.

5. An oil heating and pumpingsystem consisting essentially of a single chamber, a division-plate therein forming an oil-receiving compartment at one side and a heating-compartment at the other side of said plate, a tube in said heating-compartment communicating with the oil-receiving compartment, said oil-receiving compartment formed to create an air-cushion or spring above the contained oil to insure a uniform flow of oil through said tube, said oil-receiving compartmeut provided with a relief-outlet controlled by a spring-pressed valve, located in the upper portion of said oil-receiving compartment and communicating with the conin said receptacle to insure a uniform flow of tained oil for relief of excess oil in said oiloil to the heating-chamber, substantially as receiving compartment, all combined sub described.

. stantially as described. In testimony whereof I aifix my signature 5 6. The combination of an oil-receptacle in presence of two witnesses.

with a heating-chamber, a relief-pipe located in the oil-receptacle and extending downwardiy into the contained oil, and a spring- Witnesses: pressed valve in said relief-pipe, whereby, a J OHN GRAEBING, J r., 10 cushion or spring 01: compressed air is formed. THEO. O. STEINBURNER.

ROBERT G. KIRKWOOD. 

